Reid: Final health bill will have a ‘public option’ — U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said today there will be a “public option” in whatever health insurance reform bill comes out of Congress. — “We are going to have a public option before this bill goes to the president's desk,” …

Harkin: No place for GOP at Senate health-bill table — Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin said today Republicans will not be at the table when the Senate merges the health-care bills from two committees before sending one to the floor. — Harkin, a Democrat and chairman of one of the committees …

Letterman reveals extortion attempt — ‘Late Show’ host also admits sex with staffers — In an uncharacteristically personal revelation for David Letterman, the host took to his “Late Show” stage Thursday to admit that he was the victim of an extortion attempt — and acknowledge …

Letterman Says Someone's Extorting Him — David Letterman says someone has demanded $2 million from him in return for not blowing the lid on Letterman's sexual liaisons in his office. — Letterman said on his show tonight he received a package 3 weeks ago from someone claiming to have info …

Senator's Aid After Affair Raises Flags Over Ethics — WASHINGTON — Early last year, Senator John Ensign contacted a small circle of political and corporate supporters back home in Nevada — a casino designer, an airline executive, the head of a utility and several political consultants …

Grayson Breaks the Rules — Representative Alan Grayson's statement that the Republican plan for health care amounts to “don't get sick” and if you do “die quickly” probably doesn't meet a test of literal accuracy. Reality is I guess closer to “only get sick if you're stably employed in a good …

McCain's mission: A GOP makeover — Fresh from a humbling loss in last year's presidential election, Sen. John McCain is working behind-the-scenes to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image. — McCain is recruiting candidates, raising money for them and hitting the campaign trail on their behalf.

Is Conservatism Brain-Dead? — Over his decades as a columnist, lecturer, TV host and debater, William F. Buckley Jr. lost his cool in public only once — when he threatened to sock Gore Vidal “in your goddamn face” on the third night of their joint appearances on ABC during the ill-fated 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

How Politics Destroyed a Great TV Show — Either you are with me, or you are my enemy!" shouted a young Darth Vader in 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, one of the execrable prequels to the original films by George Lucas. In response to this all-or-nothing provocation …

Grant gives Grateful Dead archive new life online — SANTA CRUZ — The Grateful Dead Archive has taken another step in its long strange trip, from the UC Santa Cruz library to its own Web site, The Virtual Terrapin Station. — One of the most popular bands in rock ‘n’ roll history …

Chicago-Rio Olympic battle ‘close as hell’ — COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) — As First Lady Michelle Obama and talk show host Oprah Winfrey wrapped up a day of furious behind-the-scenes lobbying of International Olympic Committee members here, two sources close to the process tell CNN …

Mission Not Accomplished — Stocks are up. Ben Bernanke says that the recession is over. And I sense a growing willingness among movers and shakers to declare “Mission Accomplished” when it comes to fighting the slump. It's time, I keep hearing, to shift our focus from economic stimulus to the budget deficit.

Odierno: U.S. May Never Declare Victory in Iraq — Army Gen. Ray Odierno's comments came one day after he announced at a congressional hearing that he will send home about 4,000 additional troops by the end of October. — FOXNews.com — The top American commander in Iraq said Thursday …

Palin cover released — On Monday night, Harper announced that Sarah Palin's memoir would be hitting the stores early, arriving just in time for Christmas. — By yesterday, the book, which was written with the help of WORLD senior writer Lynn Vincent, had already risen to the top …

JOHN AND ELIZABETH EDWARDS $53 MILLION DOLLAR DIVORCE — Elizabeth Edwards has finally had enough - she's threatened to divorce her cheating husband John and claim her share of their $53 million fortune! — The ENQUIRER has learned Elizabeth dropped the divorce bombshell after learning …

Palin co-author: Evangelical, partisan — McCain (no relation to the Arizona senator) didn't respond to an email from POLITICO, but brushed off — to the Washington Independent's any attempt to link Vincent to his own controversial past remarks on race. — “People are making assumptions …

The Truth About Jobs That No One Wants To Tell You — Unemployment will almost certainly in double-digits next year — and may remain there for some time. And for every person who shows up as unemployed in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' household survey, you can bet there's another either …